I've come to the conclusion
Jan. 12th, 2006 07:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrThat I am way too goddamn picky about everything I read. Which really makes no sense, as anyone could destroy my writing with ease if they felt like it. I'm no Gaimen; I'm not even half that.
Still. Maybe it's just that I don't like 1st person. 9/10 it doesn't come off right; like someone was taking the "easy" way out rather than going with the right voice. I duno.
'Fingering the Family Jewels' is what I'm reading, btw. It's okay. Of course another part of my problem is that it's written by a guy and *for* guys. I don't care what anyone says, there's a diff between gay literature, fiction et al. and slash. Unfortunately, you seldom find the latter published.
Blather blather blather. Two days to go, and I wish someone would hurry up and tell me if I'm working Monday or not. If there's one thing I well and truly hate, it's being informed of stuff at the eleventh hour. I like to plan, I like to know what my plans are. Whether I have a two day or three day weekend is something I would like to know *now*
Blather blather blather.
*edit*
Yeah, this book is cute but it doesn't vibe with me. I'd make a joke, but I don't want to spoil things. Let's just say it's heavy on every NC stereotype you can possibly imagine. And that might be part of the problem - not the stereotypes, per se, but the setting. I rarely like a crystal clear modern setting. I mean familiarity adds realism, yeah. But I dunno -- too real and a book turns stale for me. Plus X years from now it won't make much sense to a lot of people. It's not so great to be vague, either, but I prefer vague to "wow I've been in that exact spot" It's probably just me. Like I said, it's an okay book. I don't hate it. But I think I'll stick to Christian for my detective fix (and man dont' I wish that story would fucking cooperate...harem boys, christian, harem boys, christian. Also Paradise, Embrace...ugh ugh ugh. How do I get myself into these messes?)
Reeeeaaaallly need to shut up now, don't I?
Still. Maybe it's just that I don't like 1st person. 9/10 it doesn't come off right; like someone was taking the "easy" way out rather than going with the right voice. I duno.
'Fingering the Family Jewels' is what I'm reading, btw. It's okay. Of course another part of my problem is that it's written by a guy and *for* guys. I don't care what anyone says, there's a diff between gay literature, fiction et al. and slash. Unfortunately, you seldom find the latter published.
Blather blather blather. Two days to go, and I wish someone would hurry up and tell me if I'm working Monday or not. If there's one thing I well and truly hate, it's being informed of stuff at the eleventh hour. I like to plan, I like to know what my plans are. Whether I have a two day or three day weekend is something I would like to know *now*
Blather blather blather.
*edit*
Yeah, this book is cute but it doesn't vibe with me. I'd make a joke, but I don't want to spoil things. Let's just say it's heavy on every NC stereotype you can possibly imagine. And that might be part of the problem - not the stereotypes, per se, but the setting. I rarely like a crystal clear modern setting. I mean familiarity adds realism, yeah. But I dunno -- too real and a book turns stale for me. Plus X years from now it won't make much sense to a lot of people. It's not so great to be vague, either, but I prefer vague to "wow I've been in that exact spot" It's probably just me. Like I said, it's an okay book. I don't hate it. But I think I'll stick to Christian for my detective fix (and man dont' I wish that story would fucking cooperate...harem boys, christian, harem boys, christian. Also Paradise, Embrace...ugh ugh ugh. How do I get myself into these messes?)
Reeeeaaaallly need to shut up now, don't I?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 12:55 pm (UTC)As for slash, yeah like never ever published ever. Which sucks.
I'm currently reading a book caled Fade. The back says its Holden Caulfield meets invisable man and it kinda is. I loved Cather in the Rye.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 01:22 pm (UTC)I wish more slash type stuff, written by women for women would get published here.
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Date: 2006-01-12 05:58 pm (UTC)Totally leaves me feeling cold.
I keep hoping to hit paydirt, but no such luck. Beyond a handful, there just isn't any.
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Date: 2006-01-12 01:35 pm (UTC)Someone in the caf once tried to tell me I read gay literature. I don't know that I ever got him to see my point, but he definitely didn't try to argue it with me anymore.
I never liked contemporay stuff. I think that's the main reason I dropped out of the bodice rippers. All the authors I liked starting being too modern with their stories. It's all fluff and fodder, anyway, but I think the cynic in me just could not take the romance of the contemp novels to heart. (A part of me always wondered how long after the end of the book will they be getting a divorce--which is really wrong.)
The more historical ones aren't any more viable, granted, but it's easier to reconcile them as stories. Pure and complete works of romantic fiction that, though placed in this time period or that, are not really beholden to the rules of it.
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Date: 2006-01-12 05:51 pm (UTC)Contemporary is the word I was looking for and couldn't find. Thank you.
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Date: 2006-01-12 10:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 11:06 pm (UTC)YEah, the rest of your comment was completely irrelevant. It's only point was to remind me of the word I was forgetting.
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Date: 2006-01-12 02:34 pm (UTC)It's good that you can weed out the chaff and concentrate on what turns your particular crank. It's bad when you keep subjecting yourself to work you already think is crap and then griping about it to everyone. And I think we know both kinds of folks.
Think of it as developing an aesthetic.
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Date: 2006-01-12 05:52 pm (UTC)I don't purposefully keep subjecting myself to it. I spend hours looking for books, and often they just wind up flopping. What I need to do is stop buying online, except it's a bitch to buy them any other way.
That's a good way to look at it ^_^
no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 03:30 pm (UTC)Didn't you finish DwtD already? Or is it simply because I roughly know the edges of most of what's going to happen that I think so...? Or are you talking about that demon/werewolf one? Or the girl and her pixie's story? Damn I suck at names. =_=;;;;;;
*hugs* You can do it! *loves you*
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Date: 2006-01-12 05:57 pm (UTC)Shoot. I've got like 3/4 pats of DwtD to finish. You just know a whole lot ^_~
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Date: 2006-01-12 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 03:44 pm (UTC)What are they?
spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 05:56 pm (UTC)They're more southern in general, but I always hear NC pop up in particular.
Basically that all well to do white men are bigoted assholes who have nothing better to do than make more money, raise asshole kids, rape their daughters (and get them pregnant, thereby leading to the ever popular sister-is-really-mother), got to church but aren't truly religious, run around in hood & cloak to kill black people, then beat up/kill gays, and refuse to acknowlege anyone not white, wealthy and male as equal.
And they like to run for senate.
Re: spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 06:13 pm (UTC)Re: spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 06:15 pm (UTC)Re: spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 06:23 pm (UTC)You're so kind.
Re: spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 08:56 pm (UTC)Without any sense of irony. It was supposed to be "ha ha" funny.
Re: spoilers for those who care
Date: 2006-01-12 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 03:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 08:56 pm (UTC)Well I'm on the opposite end of the "bad first person" thing. I prefer to write in first person because third person for me is just too easy. I don't like to use it because I know the moment I get bored with writing from one person, I'll bounce to another. First person gives me the added challenge of confining my view point to just one person. To me, that's harder than imagining what everyone else feels about something.
If the story is good and realistic, I'll read it and love it.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 09:06 pm (UTC)In the stories I've written, I have generally needed to show more than one viewpoint to fully tell the story I want. However, I have done a few in 3rd person limited and attempted telling 3rd person through a 1st person perspective. But, unconsciously slipping out of that viewpoint is what gets me.
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Date: 2006-01-12 09:34 pm (UTC)I think everyone is. I personally believe the picker one is... the higher your standards have grown. If that makes any sence...